Is extinction really such a bad thing?

A thoughtful exhibition at London’s Natural History Museum explores the benefits of extinction, and the possibility of humanity eradicating itself

Extinction&colon; Not the end of the world? at London’s Natural History Museum until 8 September

IT’S not something that you would expect London’s Natural History Museum to extol, but its new exhibition says extinction may not be so bad after all.

“Extinction, like death, is a natural part of life,” declares a sage epigraph at the start of this thoughtful exhibition. “Extinction isn’t necessarily the end of the world, it could be just the beginning…”

The exhibition aims to make visitors question their ideas on extinction. Is it any worse when caused by humans than by meteorites or volcanic eruptions? Should conservation be our watchword, or should some organisms go extinct?

The five mass extinctions in Earth’s history wiped out swathes of life, but ...

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